Wednesday, September 30, 2015

There's just something about 250 Magic Road

Back in the day the old New Hope Church practically shook with joyous singing every Sunday for hours on end. Inside the modest building, handmade pews of solid pine were lined up in rows and ragged hymnals were passed around, shared by steady hands when the crowd outnumbered the hymnals.

The congregation grew until the old church could no longer hold all of Sunday's best, and a new church was built a few miles away. I don't know when the last sermon was preached here, but I've imagined it was a proud and happy day as the pastor looked forward to a bigger sanctuary. I know the church was abandoned in the late 70's because I became a tiny bit obsessed with it. At that time I lived a couple of miles away from this property and would often turn down the shady, dirt road just to ride by the church and let my imagination run wild on the potential of the property.

I was fairly convinced of what a lovely and perfect little cottage it could be if renovated. I remember that in my imagination I built a sleeping loft toward the back and installed beautiful, shiny pine floors. But, it was not to be at that time.

In the meantime the one acre parcel, including the church, was purchased by Jay and Dorothy Harwood, and in 1984 they built their forever home there near the church. Jay was a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and was smart, witty and kind. He spent many hours in the former church, having converted it to a spacious workshop and garage where he tinkered with trucks, motorcycles and other things that caught his interest. Many times I saw Dot sitting in the yard to watch Jay work on his projects.

Jay and Dot lived at 250 Magic Road the rest of their lives and were dear friends to everyone in our rural neighborhood. We had purchased a farm and built a home further down Magic Road, so we were were neighbors. Eventually, the property was put on the market, and we bought it. We didn't need it, but as it had so many years before, the old church called my name.

Here's the home Jay and Dot built. It's 3 S's: solid, simple and sweet. We've added a new roof, new flooring, fresh paint and a few other things. It's cute as a button and located just a few hundred feet off a paved highway on quiet Magic Road. Country living at it's best.

After owning for several years, we have put the property up for sale because we know there is a family looking for just such a place. We've rented out the house, and it's been well maintained. I've enjoyed using the church for storage, working on projects and occasional sales of vintage pieces I hunt and gather. That sweet old church deserves more, don't you think?

So, here she is, 250 Magic Road. There's just something about it, and I think it's calling someone's name. If it's you, here's where you can learn more about it:250 Magic Road, Boston, GA